Catherine of Valois

Catherine of Valois (27 October 1401-3 January 1437) was the Queen consort of England from 2 June 1420 to 31 August 1422 as the wife of King Henry V of England. She gave birth to his heir Henry VI of England, and she remarried to Owen Tudor after Henry V's death, leading to their grandson's elevation as Henry VII of England.

Biography
Catherine of Valois was born in Paris, France in 1401, the daughter of King Charles VI of France and Isabella of Bavaria. As a young girl, her hand was requested by King Henry V of England, who sought to become King of France. In 1420, under the Treaty of Troyes, Henry married Catherine, and Henry was recognized as Charles' heir. Her husband died of dysentery during the Siege of Meaux in 1422, and Catherine was left a queen dowager. Her son, Henry VI of England, was born after the death of his father, and Catherine was left to raise him. She later had a liaison and secret marriage with Owen Tudor, as the nobles of England told her that she could not remarry until her son was old enough to give his consent. She bore Owen two children: Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond and Jasper Tudor, Duke of Bedford. She died in 1437, and her grandson would take the throne as Henry VII of England, the first Tudor monarch.